Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro slammed on Thursday (January 7) the recent removal of images of socialist leader and former president Hugo Chavez from the new opposition-led Congress. Furious after this week’s unceremonious removal of the giant Chavez photos, Maduro berated the president of the National Assembly, Henry Ramos, saying the move was an insult to 19th century independence hero, Simon Bolivar. “That which happened yesterday [in reference to removal of Chavez photos from Congress] is part […]
International
Paris police kill man armed with meat cleaver on Charlie Hebdo anniversary
French police shot dead a man wielding a meat cleaver after he tried to enter a police station on Thursday, the anniversary of militant attacks in Paris, wearing what turned out to be a fake suicide belt. The Paris prosecutor said the man had also been carrying a mobile phone and sheet of paper bearing the Islamic State flag and claims of responsibility by the militant group written in Arabic. He has yet to be […]
Volkswagen likely to buy back 115,000 cars in U.S
BERLIN German automaker Volkswagen AG assumes it will have to buy back about 115,000 cars in the United States as a result of the emissions scandal, a newspaper reported on Thursday. Without citing its sources, Germany’s daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the company expected it would have to either refund the purchase price of a fifth of the diesel vehicles affected or offer a new car at a significant discount. Volkswagen expects that the rest of […]
DFA advises OFWs in Middle East to be cautious
The Department of Foreign Affairs asked the overseas Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia to take extra precautions as well as avoid crowded places as tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran continues to rise. According to OFWs in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom’s security measures were strictly felt, with checkpoints inspecting all motorists. (Eagle News Service Described by Jay Paul Carlos, Video Editing by Dexter Magno, Uploaded by MRFaith Bonalos)
U.S., South Korea defence chiefs discuss apparent North Korea nuclear test
South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo said on Thursday (January 7) he discussed with U.S. counterpart Ash Carter North Korea’s latest nuclear test. Han said Carter reaffirmed the ‘ironclad’ commitment to the South. “Secretary Carter reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States to the defence of the Republic of Korea, and that this commitment includes all aspects of the United States’ extended deterrence,” said Han at a briefing in Seoul. The two defence chiefs […]
Experts cast doubt on North Korea’s H-bomb claim
North Korea said it successfully tested a powerful nuclear bomb even though experts voiced doubt the device set off by the isolated nation was as advanced as Pyongyang claimed. While North Korea has a long history of voicing bellicose rhetoric against the United States and its Asian allies, the assertion by Pyongyang on Wednesday (January 6) that it had tested a hydrogen device, much more powerful than an atomic bomb, came as a surprise. North […]
Residents in Chinese border express fear over North Korean nuclear test
Residents in Yanji, a Chinese city not far from the North Korean border, expressed concern and fear on Thursday (January 7), a day after North Korea’s latest nuclear test. North Korea said it successfully tested a powerful nuclear bomb on Wednesday (January 6), drawing threats of further sanctions even though the United States and weapons experts voiced doubts the device was as advanced as the isolated nation claimed. The underground explosion shook the earth so […]
Oregon native tribe uneasy with militia’s standoff over land rights
Members of the Native American tribe near Burns, Oregon, where an armed standoff between a self-styled militia and the federal government has been taking place, said they want the occupation of the land to end. At an emotional news conference in Burns, Oregon on Wednesday (January 6), tribal leaders denounced the occupiers’ claims that they want to help local residents, and said the protesters’ ignorance of the region’s real history was offensive. “We don’t got […]
First Cuban migrant flight to leave Costa Rica next week, officials confirm
Officials in Costa Rica on Wednesday (January 6) outlined some of the logistical details of a pilot plan to transport stranded U.S.-bound Cuban migrants out of the country. The first leg of the journey, from Costa Rica to El Salvador via airplane, is scheduled for Tuesday (January 12). A group of around 180 people will be able to leave on a flight to El Salvador on Tuesday evening, they will then have ground transportation to […]
First group of immigrants recently deported from U.S. arrive in Guatemala
A flight carrying 131 Guatemalans arrived on Wednesday (January 6) in Guatemala City with the first group of migrants from the Central American country to be deported from the United States this year. This was the first of six flights planned for the upcoming days, carrying Guatemalans who were taken into custody by U.S. authorities over the past two weeks. The deportations are part of a U.S. plan to tackle a surge in arrivals of […]
Saudi Arabia-Iran crisis pressures regional stability – analysts
Political analysts in the Middle East have voiced fears this week that the severing of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran could threaten the stability of the region. Following Saudi Arabia’s lead, more Gulf nations have either severed diplomatic relations with Iran or recalled ambassadors as the dispute spreads across the Middle East. “Saudi Arabia and Iran have a great impact on regional affairs, especially on issues with Yemen in the last two years. […]
Florida woman died after hospital thought she was faking: lawyers
A Florida woman who collapsed and later died after being arrested for refusing to leave a rural hospital emergency room may have lived if medical staff and police had not assumed she was faking illness, her lawyers said on Wednesday (January 6). Barbara Dawson, 57, complained of abdominal pains at Calhoun Liberty Hospital in the Florida Panhandle town of Blountsville five days before Christmas, but medical staff examined and released her. When she refused to […]
